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Welcome back, RotoBallers! The final full month of regular season baseball is underway. We're heading into Week 24 of the fantasy baseball season, and the minor league season rages on. It would be foolish to proceed without highlighting the top performances from Week 23.
It's imperative to monitor the top fantasy baseball prospects who have turned heads thus far. The players listed here are not only coming off dominant weeks but have also impressed over the entire season. Don't be surprised when these exact names are painting corners, mashing homers, and swiping bags at the big-league level soon.
Fantasy managers should certainly keep an eye on these players over the long haul as they may prove to be excellent waiver wire adds in no time.
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Cody Laweryson - SP/RP, Minnesota Twins
Level: Double-A
2022 stats: 34 G, 9 GS, 89.2 IP, 6-0, 1.51 ERA, .283 BABIP, 10.64 K/9, 2.51 BB/9, 0.10 HR/9
A 14th-round pick back in 2019, Laweryson has posted impressive numbers between High- and Double-A this season. He doesn't have a whole lot of heat behind his pitches, but he gets the job done with his off-speed offering. FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin put it best, writing, "Laweryson is in the 'How the hell is this guy doing this?' bucket with Joe Ryan, as he’s carved High-A while sitting 89. He’s great at killing spin on his changeup."
Laweryson made two starts this week, totaling 13 strikeouts, three hits, and one walk over 11 scoreless frames. His better of the two outings came on Sunday when he lasted seven innings, surrendering just one hit and zero walks while fanning eight.
Cade Marlowe - OF, Seattle Mariners
Level: Double-A
2022 stats: 119 G, .293/.381/.486, 20 HR, 86 RBI, 75 R, 35 SB, .372 BABIP, .387 wOBA, 123 wRC+, 10.5 BB%, 25.7 K%
Marlowe, 25, was selected in the 20th round of the 2019 draft. The left-handed hitter is solid in all facets of the game, though his most noticeable improvements have come at the plate, where he has cut down on strikeouts and continued to develop impressive power. He now has 46 homers over his last 215 games.
Marlowe is also a thief on the basepaths, swiping bags with ease. Defensively, he uses his speed, good glovework, and strong arm to his advantage; he should stick in center field long-term, though he might not be an immediate starter once he reaches the majors.
Marlowe put on a show this past week, going 12-for-25 (.480) with six homers, 11 RBI, four walks, and two strikeouts. Not only was his power production absolutely phenomenal, but the Tifton, Ga., native also showed impressive discipline. It's not hard to envision a path to fantasy success for Marlowe once he reaches the majors, a benchmark that should come in 2023.
Yu-Min Lin - SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 14 GS, 56.1 IP, 2-2, 2.72 ERA, .355 BABIP, 14.54 K/9, 3.51 BB/9, 0.32 HR/9
Lin has garnered plenty of attention lately, and rightfully so. The 19-year-old Taiwanese lefty may be just 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, but he is still mighty when he takes the mound. Lin has posted otherworldly numbers in his first pro season, all while showing effective stuff.
Most notably, he has touched 94 mph with his fastball; that velocity will only rise going forward. He posted a 1.74 FIP and 16.04 K/9 in the Complex League this season, and while his numbers have declined a bit since his promotion to Single-A, he still has plenty of potential.
Lin took a no-hitter into the sixth inning during his most recent outing on September 8th. When all was said and done, he lasted six frames, posting a line of zero runs, two hits, three walks, and a whopping 10 strikeouts. He earned the win, his first since his Single-A debut back in July.
Oscar Santos - C/1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 69 G, .206/.301/.381, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 25 R, 3 SB, .330 BABIP, .314 wOBA, 76 wRC+, 10.9 BB%, 40.6 K%
Santos hasn't done a whole lot to impress this season, hitting just .206 with a miserable 40.6 percent strikeout rate. He hasn't shown off much power, lacks speed, and has thrown out just 18.2 percent of base-stealers. The 21-year-old has been in Single-A since last September and doesn't seem primed for a promotion anytime soon.
Although Santos has endured plenty of struggles, he finds himself on this list for one reason: he raked this past week. The 21-year-old appeared in six games, hitting 9-for-23 (.391) with four homers and 11 RBI. He still needs to work on his discipline drastically, but his strong series earned him California League Player of the week honors and there's reason to believe he's trending in the right direction.
Ryan Webb - SP, Cleveland Guardians
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 23 G, 43.0 IP, 2-0, 3.98 ERA, .400 BABIP, 18.21 K/9, 4.40 BB/9
Webb is a 24-year-old southpaw who was selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. He has looked solid through his first season of pro ball, though he does need to work on reducing his walk rate. The Roswell, Ga., native boasts a mid-90s fastball and has a great feel for his changeup. He also has a pair of strong breaking ball offerings, with his curveball leading the way thanks to its impressive vertical drop.
Webb made two outings in Single-A this past week. He combined for nine scoreless innings, allowing seven runs and three walks while earning one win. However, without a doubt, his best stat was strikeouts: Webb fanned a whopping 17 batters along the way, including 10 in his start on Wednesday. He's still a long way from reaching the majors, but there's no denying that the lefty has impressive strikeouts stuff.
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